Growing Ag Technology a Call for Strong Rural Broadband

Technology like real-time kinetic (RTK) connectivity helps farmers leverage equipment and crop inputs to maximize crop yield potential. But there’s a big “if” in that scenario: rural broadband. Connectivity has never been more important in agriculture, and ag company leaders said this week that its absence in much of rural America is hampering not only farmers’ adoption of new technology, but the development of that technology in the first place. Rural broadband is a “fundamental requirement” that will facilitate future critical components like artificial intelligence that will not just change how equipment and machinery operates, but how farmers make operational and management decisions. With connectivity in question in many areas, some companies are returning to “low-tech options” as well as evolving technology to boost farmers’ efficiency and sustainability. See more from the conversation this week.